Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-23
INDIAN TERRITORY.
ITS FIVE SO CALLED CIVILIZED
NATIONS AND OTHER TRIBES.

breeds also whose color is darker than that of
q full blooded Indian; in such there is negro
blood. Before the war of the rebellion and
subsequent to it many of the Indians owned
slaves and cotton plantations worked by them.
There are some fine cotton plantations to-day
near Eufaula, and many of the negroes who
work on them and get paid for their labor
| picked cotton there before and during the
| war, and after it, too, for their food. Some
| of the Indian slave owners objected strenu-
ously to giving the colored men their free
dom, and are not satisfied yet that they re-
ceived Justice in the transaction, particularly
| as it seemed to be matter OF no consequence
| to the freedman The latter has learned all
about his rights since that time and insists
upon getting them.
In addition to the five so called civilized
nations-the Cherokees, Choctaws, Chcka-
| saws, Seminoles, Creeks-there are number
| of remnants of tribes in the territory. In all
there are about 65,000. Gov. Perryman, Of
| the Creek nation, is a very intelligent Indian.
| His complexion is very dark, and he is sup
posed to have negro blood in his veins. He
| is of stout build and medium height. He
| dresses in civilized garb, and has couple Of
| daughters who are handsome and fashionable
/ looking enough to attract attention any
where Gov Perryman can both read and
| write Bushy Head, the principal chief Of
| the Cherokees, is an intelligent half breed.
| One of his ancestors was white. Gov Nc
| Curtin of the Choctaws, is tall and raw.
| boned
FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
Each nation has government not unlike
that of a state. They have a council that
might be compared to a state legislature.
This council makes the laws, with the gov
ernors approval. The council can pass bill
over his veto by a two-thirds vote. Each ma
ton has number Of schools, and these are
reasonably well attended, though wealthy
Indians generally send their children to the
north for an education. There are two
schools at Aluskogee, and the Creek nation
has an academy at Tishimunga. A railroad
station at train time has all the attraction for
the Indian-the male-that it has for whites.
Indian women, however, do not rush to see a
train come in or go out and stare at paSsen-
gers. Only white women do that, they say.
Many OF the Indian women who have white
blood in them are handsome and clever, and
not a few are married to white men.
The white man who maI1ies an Indian wo.
man of the territory becomes an Indian so
far as his rights and privileges are concerned.
He can fence in all the land he wants, unless
he wants too much. If he shows disposition
to fence in all the unoccupied land in the ter
ritory his Indian neighbors will not call upon
him and argue the point. They simply cut
the fence down. He can, however, fence in
a section-640 acres-and no one is allowed to
settle on or use the land for quarter of a
mile distant from his fences White men who
marry Indians-the men who marry as
business ENTHUSIASTICALLY engage in cattle
raising, and while they keep their herds in the
territory they keep themselves in Texas or
Kansas Not all of them, however, for in
addition to the shiftless white Indians there
are several Of the thrifty, go ahead kind who
make their homes where they have made their
money.
Many Indian families bear names not owned
by the ancestors who roamed the forest in
the time of Christopher Columbus There are
OTooles Flanigans, ShaughneSsys and Muir
phys among the full blooded Indians These
names were given to them by the Canadian
trappers of the Hudson Bay company, the
same men that named the Canadian river
that runs lengthwise through the territory.
LITTLE MANUAL LABOR
Few of the Indians do manual labor, fact !
which accounts for the large number of
renters in the territory. All ties used by the |
railroads that run through the territory are
furnished by the Indians, who charge a |
royalty of ten cents per tie. Everything sold |
in the territory pays royalty to the nation |
in whose territory the sale was made, and the |
money is spent for school purposes. The I'M J
cultivated land belongs 10 the nations but not |
to individuals. Land cannot be sold by per.
son who desires to leave the territory Only |
the improvements on it can he disposed of |
All the nations raise cotton and corn except |
the Cherollees, who are north of the cotton |
belt
The desperadoes of adjoining states often |
make the Indian territory temporary abid- |
ing place. Even if they were allowed to do |
SO these characters wouldn't remain in the |
territory long. The southwestern desperate |
grows lonesome without his whisky. and |
liquor is not sold or allowed iii the territory.
When any liquor is found within the limits
the jug is broken and a spot bare of grass
tells the tale Five gallons of rum We're dis
covered here a few days ago by a marshal. |
He took the corks out of 10 half gallon Jugs
and stood the latter on the small end until the |
contents had killed all the animal and vege-
table life in the immediate vicinity
There are more hard characters at Meal
lister than in any other settlement in the terri
tory. \ coal mine is pretty safe spot to
hide in, and the miners here seldom take
much pains TO surrender to justice fugitive
who throws himself upon their mercy. The
town has population of 1000. if good bit
of the surrounding country is considered in
the limits. The miners are about equally d.
vlded between English, Irish and Scotch |
There are a few negroes among them and |
two half breed Indians The man can make
from 81 to s. per day in the busy season, and
live on $40 month during the dull season, if
they care to do so, for they can till all the
ground they want They are not saving
lot, however, and when they make a big
months wages it goes in a short time They
attempt all sorts of lodges TO bring rum into
the territory, but don't often succeed. -
\. y. Times